Celebrating Easter in Assisi

We returned to Assisi during the busy week before Easter. As with Venice, Assisi is a fine place for peaceful early morning walks.

Early morning also offers a quiet time for prayer at the crypt of Saint Francis, before thousands of visitors begin filing through.

On Good Friday morning, a long procession leaves the Cathedral of San Rufino carrying an ancient crucifix symbolizing Christ's death. It proceeds to some of the convents in town, for veneration by nuns, before arriving at the Basilica of Saint Francis. Here the procession is seen leaving the Basilica of Saint Clare.

Down the hill, in Santa Maria degli Angeli, Franciscans will gather for Easter at the Porziuncola, the tiny church of Saint Mary of the Angels, now housed in a much larger church. The Porziuncola ("Little Portion"), has served as a home to Franciscans since it was first repaired by Francis.

Holy Saturday proved a good day for a hike on Mount Subasio. Here's a view of Assisi from above.

Back in town, the Church of Santo Stefano, built before Francis was born, has much of its original facade. Visitors see what Francis would have seen.

In recent years I've attended the Easter Vigil Mass at the small Church of Santa Margherita, in front of which is a small piazza overlooking the Basilica of Saint Francis. 

While many thousands attend Easter services at the Basilica, this year less than thirty were present for the Easter Vigil service at Santa Margherita, an intimate nighttime gathering, mostly of locals and nuns from surrounding convents. Franciscans have ministered to the Santa Margherita community since the Thirteenth Century. Here's a glimpse of the interior prior to the service, always beautiful and hope-filled.

Following Masses on Easter Day, visitors crowd the streets of Assisi.

Some stop to rest on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, a conversion of a two thousand year old Roman Temple of Minerva. It seems likely that a young Francis also would have rested on these same steps, a mere eight centuries ago.

Finally, Easter is a time for flowers. These were growing in the yard of Saint Anthony's Guest House.

Buona Pasqua! Happy Easter!